


Potential

by The_Anemoia



Series: The Motherbase That Love Built [1]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: 1984, F/M, Features some sexual harrassment, Fluff, Motherbase, No Spoilers, SEYCHELLES - Freeform, Set during the events of The Phantom Pain but not related to the storyline, reader/insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-02-26 01:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18714151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Anemoia/pseuds/The_Anemoia
Summary: One day you quietly happen upon Ocelot training a group of soldiers out on the Command platform deck but there's something about him that catches your eye... as does his when he looks up to meet your gaze.





	Potential

**Mother Base, Seychelles Waters, Command Platform**

Unlike the average lifestyle back home, many things were different here on Mother Base. There was never a time where everyone slept during the same hours as you did nor speak the same language from time to time. With every new face that arrived, there was a new adaptation that would alter the old ways but it was always a work in progress. No matter what, the one thing everyone did have in common was the belief, belief in the change they can make to the world and it was all thanks to the Boss. Big Boss. 

**6:45**

Waking up early was never your forte- that you could _try_ to remember anyway. It seemed like such a distant memory to recall after what happened with Skull's operation from Afghanistan to Africa. That was until the Boss saved you from it all, offering a chance to live again once more. No matter how much you tried to think of it, there was no previous life before all of this as to what your profession was or if you even had the capability to use a firearm. All you wanted was peace and that suited the Diamond Dogs well enough to accept you.

The clouds were dusted with hints of darkness from the night before as the sea breeze ever so gently swept across the Command Platform. It was refreshing enough as you sat up on the second level of one of the control towers. Originally, it was a meditative time for you to gather your thoughts and ponder the true reason why you were still here. You were alone and enjoying the peace of mind with your back against the metallic wall and a hand hanging casually over one bent leg. The waves rippled as far as you could see to the horizon line with the occasional sparkle from the sun's rays. Once and a while, there was the odd soldier who patrolled by, gun in hand and a short greeting of 'morning'. It was a slightly secluded spot that neither of you were in each other's way.

Around this time of day, you had just enough time to enjoy the silence and finish waking up before the Combat team would start their daily training. From what you could normally see, it ranged from simple gun handling and shooting to typical CQC on other days. It was always interesting to see how they trained and communicated with each other as soldiers and as fellow comrades to one another. Sometimes you could hear what they said and other times not so much due to the distance away or the strength of the wind rushing passed your ears. Usually led by a ranking higher up, this morning seemed to have a surprise in store. 

"Never assume your opponent is down for good." 

The southern accent was unmistakable as you watched the substitute survey his trainees. "Otherwise, you face an early grave the moment you turn your attention away from them."

He was someone you had never seen in person before but had heard much about during the time you've been here. It sparked a satisfaction to finally put a face to the name you've heard on so many soldiers lips. Ocelot. One end of his red scarf brushed against his shoulder just as he turned to watch a soldier aim and fire at a metallic target sign yards away across the platform. From what could be seen, his expression hadn't changed which peaked your curiosity as to what he could be thinking all the while adjusting yourself over the tower's level to get a clearer view.

"Don't forget to breathe." the older male instructed the soldier who then lowered their gun to look over and acknowledge the higher up speaking. "Only when you get used to using the gun can you start on trying rapid succession fire. It's all about control first." Lifting a red gloved hand, he gestured out to the target again. "If you're too eager, the mistakes will follow just as quickly. Again but slower this time." With a silent nod, the soldier returned his attention back to the target and brought their handgun up. A few silent seconds had passed before the trigger was finally pulled. A few seconds following the loud echo of the gunshot was silence until another round gradually went off. Unable to tell on where the bullets had struck on the target, it seemed to show improvement as Ocelot pursed his lips together with a small raise of his brows. "Master that first, than only can you expand off it and grow on those skills. Keep it up soldier." 

This training session had just become all the more interesting as you now watched with your full undivided attention, unable to look away from the silver haired man go about sharing his knowledge with the team and by the looks of it, the soldiers seemed to be much more exhausted compared to their previous days of training. You began to wonder what it would feel like to be down there in person learning along with them. Could this be something useful for yourself? 

"May I?" Ocelot held an open hand out to another soldier who just finished firing at a separate target. Without a seconds thought, the soldier handed him their gun and stepped back. Moving in front of the group, he spoke a little louder for everyone to hear. "As they say... it's starts with the basics. There are times you may become impatient. You may feel ready to try something new. And when you're out in the field, you won't have anyone to help guide you but yourself." Turning his focus back to the gun he now held, Ocelot lifted it up towards the distant target. His voice did not falter in tone or volume as he held his position with the utmost stillness, keeping aim. "These are all red herrings if you know nothing up until that moment." 

Your chest tightened at every shot Ocelot fired, catching you by surprise as his words unknowingly entranced you, making you feel as if you were down there training with them.

With smoke rising out from the gun's barrel, Ocelot gave the firearm a quick spin around his index finger before he turned and offered it back to the original owner. "This concludes the morning's session. Grab a bite and resume your assigned duties for today. Good job." 

Sitting there astonished in silence, you watched as he conversed with two fellow soldiers while the rest of them immediately proceeded to the cafeteria. You wanted to know more about this man but the mere idea of being close to him intimidated you. Was it the way he confidently carried himself or his extensive handling of guns? Perhaps both. Rising to your feet, you concluded yourself it was about time to go about the day and grab something to eat as well. With one last glance down to the lower deck, you held yourself as Ocelot seemed to now be staring alone at the ground, the soldiers he was previously speaking with having left. _*What is he looking at?*_ you can't help but wonder as you awaited some form of answer to the question. 

It seemed like minutes had passed before Ocelot finally moved and when he did, it was in a way you had not expected. With a swift turn on one of his spurred boots, he lifted his gaze up to the second level and automatically met with your gaze. Despite the distance, it was strong enough to make you instantly turn and step away from the edge out of his line of sight. Warmth greeted your face as you quietly walked away to head inside the tower. 

******************* ******************* ********************

The image of Ocelot looking up at you seemed forever burned into the back of your mind as you sat at the one of the lone halves of a table in the cafeteria, a few soldiers minding their own business as they ate and spoke quietly among themselves on the other half. _*How could he have seen me?*_ was the only question you could keep feverishly asking yourself as you silently relived the moment over and over, after all- it wasn't just the fact he caught you staring but the way he had turned to meet your gaze. That fluid movement after the long still pause, he turned and looked straight up at you without any searching. _*How long did he know I was watching?*_ He seemed so focused on training the Combat team- or at least that's what he pretended to appear as. The burning in your face continued as you drowned yourself in embarrassment. No doubt he knew who you were once the Boss brought you back to Mother Base so it would be unlikely he'd forget what happened. 

"Uhhh..." You quietly groaned with a hand against your forehead, leaning over the edge of the table on your elbow in defeat. 

"Hey." 

It took you a delayed second to realize that the voice was not your own but still however directed at you. Blinking with a sharp breath in, you sat up straight and looked to see a soldier leaned back on the back legs of his chair, half eaten apple in hand. With a buzzed haircut and a freshly shaven chin and jaw, the man looked to be in his early thirties, if not maybe younger due to the lack of hair. It wasn't until he smirked that it appeared his age showed around his eyes and mouth. "Why don't you join us?" 

The question was off putting as you sat there caught off guard. "Oh.... uh..." Was the only sounds you could muster as you tried to think of accepting or declining. 

"Be a shame to sit over there all alone." 

The soldier took a bite of his apple. "Especially when it could my lap instead."

 _*What?*_ Did he really say that to you? He looked from him back to your empty tray of food. "E-excuse me?" Came the next set of words in some confused hope that you just heard him wrong. The latter seemed like a faraway truth as you glanced back to see a few of the other soldiers sitting with him snickering and looking away, one almost choking on their piece of bread. 

Finishing his chewing, the soldier slightly rocked in his chair until his boots thudded heavily against the floor when he chose to sit upright. The feeling through the floor vibrated over and up into your own feet. "Just throwing it out there... As a man speaking to a woman, I think we both could use a little fun around here." 

So that's how it was going to be. "...Wow..." your thoughts came aloud in disbelief as you decided it was time to end breakfast early. Clearing your throat, you pushed back in your chair and stood up all the while taking your tray to empty it and finish your leave in the cafeteria. Just as you poured the remnants of what remained from the tray into the trash, you felt something tap against your back. Automatically stiffening from the feeling against your shoulder blade, you slowly turned to one shoulder, the annoyance growing in place of the awkwardness you were feeling prior. 

"My room's the other way." the soldier joked holding what remained of his bread, seemingly unafraid of being heard over the other conversations happening throughout the fairly sized cafeteria. 

_*Don't say anything... don't say anything...*_ However, the more you thought about this soldier poking fun at you and getting away with it only seemed to feed the fire that was now started in the pit of your stomach. On one hand, you could choose to ignore his ignorant advances or on the other.... why should you? To risk this happening again or else have it motivate another soldier to join in and do the same... it was a chance not to be taken lightly. "I would appreciate it if you apologize and take back those words." With a tinge of boldness, you made a few steps back towards the table, facing the jokester.

"Or what?" the soldier sneered in amusement, resting his chin over a closed fist. "You gonna do something to me?" 

To honestly think that this man wasn't going to let up anytime soon. It felt alienating to be dealing with this and so soon. You barely knew much about the legend who saved you never mind the people who fought with and for him that you were suddenly surrounded by. What could be done about this? Surely there was some form of rules and maturity when dealing with conflicts, right? It all seemed to fade away as no one else appeared ready to step in place and remedy the situation that was growing if they had noticed. Before you could open your mouth, you paused. Somehow, it was like your body was telling you not to fight, not to say anything in retaliation. Perhaps this feeling had some truth to it, that should you keep ignoring then maybe they will grow tired and move on. An experiment that can only be proven through trials. Deciding it was a risk to take, you turned away with a pressing exhale. 

There followed the sound of playful booing but that in time became drowned out by the rest of the cafeteria ambience and distance you put between yourself and the sleazy soldier. With already a lot on your mind, maybe a rest was needed or the small gym they had available for use. Either way, you needed to quickly stop by your private quarters. It wasn't much to call a bedroom but does anyone ever really need anything else other than a cot to sleep on? Combing a hand loosely through your hair, you press the button to your room. As soon as the door opens, it is immediately closed by a hand that had come from behind you. Confused, you turned to see it was the same soldier from the cafeteria. 

Whether you wanted to say anything to him or not first, the soldier still beats you to the punch. "Hey, about earlier. I didn't mean to call you out like that." The confession seems to almost be more confusing than what had happened earlier. "That was just loud and obnoxious." 

You agree both mentally and out loud. "Yeah, that kinda was." the urge to throw in sarcasm was impossible to avoid, having to be only natural given the circumstances that you had no one to help earlier and thus forced you to be the mature one and leave. Your eyes follow his as they fall in between your feet and lift back up. Something wasn't beginning to feel right. "Anyway, thanks I guess?" Clearly, this unsettling feeling was growing stronger and nothing could make you more happier and relieved than to be in your own room away from him. When you lifted a hand to press open the door again, the soldier this time intercepted pushing his hand against yours but in a way that made you avoid the button. Hand firmly held against the wall in front of you, there was suddenly a grip on your rear end. 

Ignoring your gasp, he leans in towards to one shoulder. "Anyway I can make it up to you? Maybe in private?" 

Like flicking on a light switch, you were off. With a shout of disgust, you push away from the door and turn around with the back of your fist swinging in his direction. As he dodges your first strike towards his shoulder but it doesn't stop you from advancing until he's pushed up against the opposite wall of the hallway. Normally you weren't one to be angered easily but given the circumstances, this was undeniably reasonable. He let's you do this with amusement before taking a side step away but that's when you naturally move your leg to kick at his ankle. It all seemed to happen so fast yet so slowly as he collapses down on one knee with a loss of balance and his face is then greeted with the knuckles of your right hand. Involuntarily reaching out, he manages to grab your wrist and take you with him in the fall. 

Both turning and falling hard, you quickly regain yourself and look up to see the man holding the side of his reddened face. "Dammit!" he growled partially into his hand followed with a spit to the floor, a reddish colour mixed in with his saliva. 

"You had it coming!" Came a bark of your own as you stand back on your feet, deciding to use the upper hand and strike him again with a kick only this time he anticipates the idea and grabs onto your foot, a hard groan erupting from his chest as the sole of your boot strikes against him. Twisting, he flips you onto your back causing the air to rush out of your lungs. "!" 

With heavy breaths, he crawls over top with his knees at your sides and grasps roughly at the front of your shirt to lift you from the ground and face him. "I'll be damned I let some chick tell me what to do around here...!"

At this point, it seems like any sort of hit against him would help. With your hands balled up, you begin to punch at his side and ribs as hard as you could, getting a few more groans out of him while he tries to shift and avoid them, still holding onto your shirt.

Would there have been anyone around, they would notice the onset of footsteps rushing down the hallway but as for the two of you, all that could be heard was the fighting, the struggling and the groans. The blood rushing through your ears, it wasn't until you felt the weight on your abdomen suddenly lift off you that you realized something changed. Kicking your legs in a last attempt to fight, you push yourself up on your side and watch as the soldier is ripped away further from you and thrown against the wall, collapsing to the ground dazed. "What the **hell** is going on here?!" The all too familiar voice emphasizes with such ferocity. 

_*Ocelot...*_ You can't believe your eyes as you rest on the floor looking up at him in the fluorescent lighting, standing over the both of you tall and tensed. 

"S...sir..." The soldier stammered, seeming just as surprised as you are, shaking his head in an attempt to set his bearings straight. Lifting a hand to his ribs, he weakly rose to his feet still appearing half dazed by the events. "I can explain...!" 

Ocelot kept his back to you, never seeming to look away from the other. "Oh I think I've seen enough to know for myself." he corrected. "Can't quite seem to tell yet if I'm disappointed or disgusted by your actions. Maybe a bit of both." 

You rested a hand against your aching collarbone as you attempted to collect yourself together as well in the meantime. A button or two seemed to be missing from the top of your shirt but it wasn't anything to stress over about. 

"You best be going right now 'cause I don't want to hear it." Just as the other started up to make another defense case, Ocelot spoke over it, immediately drowning and stopping the other from continuing their sentence. "Oh and soldier? If I catch you anywhere **but** the brig after this, well... let's just say I won't need to confide in the Boss what your future here looks like. Dismissed."

Giving a weak salute, the soldier turned and quietly took his leave, never making a single glance back to either of you as your eyes soon fell upon the older male in standing. There were no words to say, nothing to break the silence as Ocelot crouched down to eye level. "Can you stand?" He asked, his grey irises captivating your every thought. 

"Yes." It was surprising there wasn't a single stutter in your voice as you took his hand and carefully stood up on your feet. You looked from him to the surrounding area where the odd sight of blood was seen smeared on the floor or parts of the wall. It hadn't even felt like you punched that soldier very hard although deep down you had to admit the adrenaline was definitely there to help. "I'll be alright. Just a bit shaken, I think." 

Tilting his head with a small exhale out, he sidestepped and gestured on ahead of you both. "Well normally I'd say to brush it off but considering the circumstances, I think it's best if we head down to the infirmary just to be sure." It was understandable in Ocelot's precaution to make sure and as much as you didn't feel eager to oblige and go, the thought of walking with him created butterflies in your stomach. The lightheaded feeling grew apparent but it was difficult to determine if it was from the fighting or Ocelot with his hand now softly against your arm to make sure you were capable of walking. "You'll have to excuse the formalities."

"One can never be too certain." 

"Precisely. Last thing we need is to send you on your merry way and have the Boss find you in worse shape than when he brought you here." The slight humour got to your lips and soon enough, a short amused breath left you. Noticing the reaction, a corner of his lips perked into a faint smile- or was it just a trick of the eye? "Y/N, am I right?"

Hearing your name on the man's lips made your heart skip a beat. This was all so sudden from the moment you first laid eyes on him in training to now having him accompany you. "H-how..." You managed to try and turn the conversation over, lest he look and notice how red your cheeks were after you nodded a 'yes' to his earlier question. Thankfully your hair was long enough to cover some of your profile from him. "When you found us fighting, did you know about it?" After you finished asking the question, the embarrassment came flooding back. _*What kind of question is that, of course no one knew what was happening in the hall, so how would he?*_ It was almost agonizingly easy to berate yourself when you went on using hunches instead of actual facts or another's testimony, though it also didn't help when in the presence of someone who caught your eye.

"I wouldn't say I knew about the skirmish but you could say I was looking for you." 

The sentence hit you with a shock of surprise. Ocelot was looking for you? Of all people. Why? So many questions began to fill your mind as you looked to him in hopes of finding the answer immediately, no longer paranoid if you were still blushing or not. As much as you wanted to hear him explain why, your eyes followed his to see you were both stopped in front of the infirmary doors. Ocelot's hand moved from your arm to the door, giving it a cautious push open. Watching him lean in, he exhaled sharply. "Lunch break?" you pondered aloud.

"It would appear so. No matter, it's only a small station. Sometimes, you just never have the time to skip on over to the Medical platform." Clearing his throat, he entered the room first with his arm still stretched out to keep the door open. The minor chivalrous gesture was enough for you to easily take note and bashfully avoid eye contact with him as you followed suit trying to look interested elsewhere in the room. Would he feel that emotion he was stirring in your body if both your eyes were to meet? From the tales you heard, you could only hope that wasn't possible. The man seemed like he could figure anything out. "Grab yourself a seat." After quietly obeying his request, you watched as he eventually came over, pulling up another metallic chair, its legs barely scraping against the flooring. With the first aid on the nearest portable wheeled counter top, Ocelot held both his hands out towards you. "...May I?" 

Your mind began drawing a blank as you looked from him down to his leather gloved hands only to realize he was wanting to examine the damage your fist had taken from the fight. Holding out your right hand, you lightly rested it over his open palm, the leather smoothly greeting skin as he gently ran his fingertips over yours using his other hand, turning it over to see the knuckles were red with a few specks of blood. It was oddly comforting to feel this touch. 

"Skin's broken in a few places but that'll happen with enough blunt trauma suddenly forced against it. Nothing but simple cleaning and a bandage can't fix." Grabbing a cotton ball after having opened the first aid kit, he quickly tipped the bottle of peroxide over top of it and proceeded to lightly dab over top the small cuts, cleaning the bits of dried blood in the process. The pain stung but you endured it easily. "My apologies for what happened earlier. Morale tends to drop and the troublemakers begin to show themselves when the Boss is away for too long."

Your palm rested further against his as he finished up with the cleaning, tossing the cotton ball in a nearby trash can. "For someone who invokes such a strength and belief in them and then to disappear for periods of time... I can sort of see how. Some people need that constant motivation to keep them going- keep them in line." Upon your first impression of meeting Venom Snake, you saw him to be a strong individual who knows how to work alone but also inspire those around him to be their best. He is a man of many skills and can expertly apply them with what seems to be minimal effort, a trait you found yourself so curious in exploring although at the time you couldn't be any happier than when you were initially extracted in Africa, watching him shrink and disappear from sight while you skyrocketed through the clouds at an alarming rate via the Fulton system. As with everyone else here, you felt a strong need to owe him your thanks and would do so in any way that could help the Diamond Dogs.

"Unfortunately when recruiting, there is always going to be some bad seeds to sort through that don't quite see it like that and resort to their old ways." Ocelot reached over for the white bandage roll and began to neatly wrap it around your hand, protecting the knuckles from becoming irritated with any dust or dirt that could be encountered later on. "I only wish we didn't have to figure out some of them the hard way."

A moment of silence befell the two of you as he finished up with your hand, his thumb tracing over the knuckles one last time before letting go. Your nerves tingled, causing a small shiver to run up through your wrist. "T-thank you." You managed to reply, wishing this moment could last for a few more minutes. This closeness and attentiveness was something you weren't accustomed to but you were adjusting and gladly accepting it nonetheless.

"It's the least I can do." Ocelot brushed a lock of silver hair from his face, tucking it back behind his ear while he straightened his posture on the chair. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

_*Anywhere else?*_ his question reverberated in your mind, your hands coming together shyly in your lap as you processed the words carefully, the mind beginning to wander suggestively elsewhere. "No, I think I'm good. Thank you again." 

When you both arose from your seats and started toward the door to leave, you slowed down to a stop and hesitantly looked over your shoulder to him. "Just to reiterate from what was said out in the hallway..." The sentence was almost lost on you as Ocelot met with your gaze again, his expression curious but soft- very much unlike the stern commanding substitute you saw him as earlier this morning. It was like he was searching, trying to find the answer before you could speak it while also giving the opportunity to let you finish. "... you said you were looking for me?" 

"That I was." he confirmed with a short glance down to the space in between you two. "Initially, it was for but one reason. The first being that I thought I'd finally go meet this new face that seems to be so well hidden around here on Mother Base. It's not healthy to stay anonymous." 

"And the second?" You almost cursed yourself out loud for becoming so quickly eager to speak up without thinking. He really wanted to meet you? No, it had to be just as a typical courtesy and initial welcoming he did for everyone who was brought here. 

A small short breath escaped his lips in amusement as he lifted his hands to rest over his hips, the ever so slight jingle of his boot spurs heard when he shifted his posture. "From what I saw out in the hallway, you seemed to have somewhat handled yourself albeit for a short time that was enough. Looked like you had gotten a few decent hits on him, colour me impressed. I'd like to offer you a chance to improve on that." 

"To fight?" 

"Consider it more so as self defense." 

"Oh.... uh, umm..." Was this really happening? It seemed like all of this was becoming a dream, too surreal to comprehend and take in as you tried to find the right words. "I don't know if I can really do that. I don't think I'm a soldier." Though the more you thought about it, the more impressed you became of yourself but all the more dumbfounded. To think back on how you managed to hit the soldier dead on in the face and draw blood, perhaps Ocelot was sensing that there was more to you than you knew. The idea of training with a bunch of uniformed Diamond Dogs felt a little out of place and almost humorous to imagine. Could you really follow along with them? Where would you even start? 

"The Boss brought you back here Y/N and you're still with us. This means something." It was an obvious statement that you already knew. Sure, there was no memory to go off of but why else would you not be shipped away immediately? Whatever the operation was that you were involved with in Africa, there must have been some sort of importance as no files or forms could be found about you at all. Was it some sort of covert op? Was your memory wiped on purpose so as to dispose of the loose ends only to have Big Boss save you in the nick of time? With a hand lightly resting against your shoulder, Ocelot politely guided you to the door. How tempting it was not to lean back and feel that hand press firm against you. "Anyway, I'll give you some time to think it over if you want but to be honest, I think there's potential." 

There was the urge to doubt yourself aloud, to throw in a light sarcastic joke about having potential but you held your tongue in fear of sounding disrespectful. Ocelot spoke with an earnest tone and with still not knowing him well enough, there was no point in risking the doubtful humour if he was being serious.Heading out into the hallway, you felt his presence diminish. "When can I let you know by?"

"Don't worry about finding me, I'll be around." The idea of him not being far away or having him find you at a later date brought some heat to your face with anticipation. The man spoke of training and here you begin to drift off once again into the uncharted parts of your mind, the portion you never thought to be conjuring while on Mother Base. With a small courteous nod goodbye, Ocelot turned away and walked down the hall, the sound of his boots becoming quieter with each step until he was out of sight. It took a minute or so after he left that you realized how much your heart was pacing, trying to recollect what he had just said. 

From the events of this morning it was a surprise that anything positive would grow from it but after what just happened, it all seemed like a thing of the past. Ever so far away. The only thing to remind you that this wasn't a dream was the bandaging over your right hand- and Ocelot's lingering touch. 


End file.
